By David
Sorensen
The Husky Energy Chair in Oil and Gas Research, the first
endowed Chair at Memorial, will focus on reservoir characterization,
especially the utilization of seismic imaging techniques
for reservoir management. Bringing a person with this expertise
to Memorial will greatly enhance the petroleum reservoir
team being built by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied
Science and the Department of Earth Sciences, explained
Dr. James Wright, head of Earth Sciences.

This team already includes Canada Research Chair Dr. Thormod
Johansen and two new faculty members being recruited through
the PanAtlantic Petroleum Systems Consortium.

“[The Husky Chair] will bring a person with different
expertise to complement those activities,” said Dr.
Wright. “It was a natural choice that Engineering
and Earth Sciences would be the joint academic units for
the appointment.”

John C.S. Lau, president and chief executive officer of
Husky Energy, announced a $2-million endowment for the establishment
of the Husky Energy Chair in Oil and Gas Research at a ceremony
held June 3, 2003, on the St. John’s campus. It is
the first endowed research chair at Memorial University.

Specialists in seismic reservoir characterization are in
high demand, Dr. Wright said. However, Memorial has a number
of assets that will aid its recruitment effort. Aside from
the current activity offshore Newfoundland, the university’s
Visualization Centre will be completed this fall and the
new person will be surrounded by an excellent team.

The search for the individual to hold the chair will follow
the provisions of the collective agreement for a joint appointment
and Husky Energy will be invited to name one member to the
search committee.

Dr. Wright said Memorial is building an interdisciplinary
approach to studying energy resources. That approach includes
the work of Dr. Michael Slawinski, Petro-Canada Chair in
Applied Seismology in the Department of Earth Sciences;
Dr. Neil Bose, Canada Research Chair in Offshore and Underwater
Vehicles Design; and Dr. R. Seshadri, Canada Research Chair
in Asset Integrity Engineering in Engineering and Applied
Science.

“There’s a totality to our thinking,”
he said. “There are different ways of connecting these
seemingly independent initiatives.

“In 10 years, you’ll see integrated programs
with the use of full seismic data for characterization of
both the rock and fluid properties of the reservoir, and
the use of underwater vehicle technology to do seismic experiments
on the seabed. These are areas where Memorial is very much
on the forefront.”

Teamwork brought chair to Memorial
“The Husky Energy Chair in Oil and Gas Research gives
Memorial a genuine opportunity to be a recognized world
leader in these areas,” said Dr. Axel Meisen, Memorial’s
president.

Dr. Meisen commended Will Roach, Husky’s general manager
of east coast operations, and Lt.-Gov. and former Board
of Regents Chair Dr. Edward Roberts for playing vital roles
in bringing the Husky Energy chair to Memorial University.

The president added that the provincial government, notably
Energy Minister Walter Noel, and the Canada-Newfoundland
Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NOPB) and its chair Hal Stanley,
also offered critical support. Dr. Meisen said the Husky
Energy Chair should reward their efforts by yielding many
benefits to the oil and gas sector and the people of the
province.

At the announcement event, Husky Energy CEO John Lau said
the company is pleased to provide this endowment under the
mentorship of Memorial University.

“The creation of this senior research chair demonstrates
our confidence in exploration and development here on the
east coast of Canada, and in the university's ability to
conduct research to meet the ever-changing needs of the
petroleum industry,” he said. “It is our corporate
strategy for investment in people that will serve both the
industry and the province for generations to come.”